In 1913, Adolphe Pegoud became the first pilot
to be fly an aircraft in sustained inverted flight. The aircraft was built
by Louis Bleriot. The aircraft, a monoplane XI had a wing span was 25 ft.
7 in.; length 26 ft. 3 in.; its takeoff weight was 663 lbs. with a 25 hp
engine.

The engine was a Anzani three-cylinder air-cooled fan-type. Bleriot’s
monoplanes incorporated many innovations including the monoplane wing,
tractor engine, rear rudder, horizontal stabilizer and swiveling landing
gear to permit crosswind takeoffs. In 1909 Bleriot, in a Type XI, became
the first to fly across the English Channel.